THE AUSTRALIAN Sports Anti-Doping Authority will not appeal the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal's decision to clear 34 past and present Essendon players over the club's 2012 supplements program.
The anti-doping body has also announced it will not appeal any of the findings in relation to the case of former Bombers sports scientist Stephen Dank.
It had until Tuesday to appeal the findings, but confirmed on Monday it would not go forward with any appeal despite an investigation that spanned two years.
However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will receive ASADA's full case file to assist its separate consideration of an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
ASADA chief executive Ben McDevitt cited the framework of the appeal as a reason behind his decision not to go ahead in challenging the finding.
"As with all other decisions I have made in these matters this decision has largely been informed by comprehensive legal advice," McDevitt said in a statement.
"I am conscious that ASADA does not have a direct right of appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and the only appeal avenue open to ASADA at this time is to the AFL Anti-Doping Appeals Tribunal.
"I am also aware that appealing any of these decisions within the AFL framework would ultimately serve only to delay consideration of these matters by the World Anti-Doping Agency."
On March 31, the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal, chaired by David Jones, announced it was not comfortably satisfied the players had taken banned substance Thymosin-Beta 4.
It ended a saga that started in February 2013, when ASADA and the AFL began their joint investigation into the Bombers' supplement use in 2012.
Dank's finding was only revealed last Friday, and he was found guilty of 10 breaches of the anti-doping code.
He formally informed the AFL on Monday of his decision to appeal the findings, and the hearing will be in front of the AFL Appeals Board at a date to be confirmed.
The breaches included trafficking, attempting to traffic and complicity in matters to a range of prohibited substances, but he was cleared of administering the supplement in question, Thymosin-Beta 4, to Essendon players during his time at the club.
ASADA has sent the case file to WADA for independent review and said it would support an appeal to the CAS.
WADA has a further 21 days after Tuesday to lodge an appeal in front of a new Tribunal.
"ASADA will support any WADA-initiated appeal in relation to these matters," McDevitt said.
"In the interests of transparency, I would welcome the fullest possible release of the Tribunal’s findings and reasons on all of these matters."